Means for cutting sheet glass



June 24, 1930. L. VON REl S 5 MEANS FOR CUTTING SHEET GLASS Filed July 20, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Zovenfr.-

June 24, 1930. L. VON REIS 1,765,552

MEANS FOR CUTTING SHEET GLASS Filed July 20, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a amerzwmfieid fer Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcs LAMBERT VON- REIS, OF HERZOGENRATH, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR, IBY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO THE AMERICAN BIGHEROUX COMPANY, A. CORPORATION OF DELAWABE MEANS FOR GUTTINGBHEET GLASS Application filed July 20, 1926, Serial No. 123,763, and in Germany July 27, 1925.

This invention relates to a method and a device for cutting sheet glass while still in plastic condition. The method and the device are more particularly designed to be used in the manufacture of sheet glass by means of a rolling machine comprising at least two rolls, but they may also be used in all other methods of manufacturing sheet or plateglass.

An embodiment of the subject-matter of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the cutting dev1ce,

Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the device,

Fig. 3 is a plan view,

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the position of a drop knife during the cutting operation, and

Fig. 5 is another view similar to Fig. 3 showing the position of a drop knife when raised after the cutting operation. Fig. 1 is a detail side elevation.

.a are travelling tables designed to receive the sheet or plate glass from a rolling machine 5 and convey it, for instance, to an annealing kiln. b is a drop knife arranged for swinging and shifting motion on a horizontal shaft 0 arranged to extend parallelly of the track of the tables a. d is a roller carried by an arm d of the knife 6 and designed to guide the knife after the cutting over an inclined plane e. f is a weight connected by a cable 7" with the knife I) and serving to retract the knife. 9 are stops arranged at a side of the tables near their forward ends. h is the space or gap existing between two tables each. The knife I) is adapted to drop into this gap when executing its cutting operation. The tables a are provided at their longitudinal edges with rails m on which runs a roller 71 carried by an arm i of the knife and designed to hold the knife in its lifted position. The shaft 0 is moutned in bearings 70 of a base I. When there is no table below the knife b, same is held in its lifted position by means of a clutch coupling 11. which is more fully described here inafter. p is a member pivotally carried by each table and designed to bridge the gap between the tables when same are being re- 50 turned. 0 is a stationary stop serving to automatically swing the members p into bridging position during the said return travel of the tables.

The glass rolling machine, which forms no part of this invention, is not illustrated in the drawings.

The operation of the described device is as follows: The glass rolling machine is supposed to be arranged at the left hand end of the tables'shown on the drawings. As soon as the rolling machine begins to roll out a sheet of glass, the tables a which are arranged I below the machine start their travel in the direction of the arrow indicated in Fig. 3. While in movement they receive the glass sheet formed on the machine and carry it alon with them. When the tables are moving forward the knife 6 rests by its'roller i on the rails m and is held by the same in its lifted position. The knife 6 is pressed by a spring 7' against the rails m. As soon as one of the stops 9 enters into engagement with the knife b same is carried along by the respective table in the direction of its travel a and at the same time drops into the gap h 75 dividing the sheet of glass supported by the tables. Thereby the glass band is completely out through and an in ury of the knife and the support is avoided. The knife I) is provided with two blades 6 and b through which slips of little breadth are cut out of the band of glass being in plastic condition. As the slips of glass fall down through the interstices a uniting along the cutting lines after the cutting operation 1s avoided. In order to limit the downward movement of\the knife, there may be arranged below the knife in its cutting plane a resilient spring sup ort 8 onto which the knife falls at the end 0 its cutting stroke. This resilient support which acts as a shock absorber, prevents the knife from being injured or even destroyed by striking for instance on the track on which the tables are travelling. The movement of the tables a and the rolling process itself are in no way interrupted by the cutting operation of the knife 6, but same is caused to slide on the shaft 0 in the direction of travel of-the tables because it is carried alon by the said stop 9.. After the cutting operatlon has been term1- 100 nated, the roller d carried by the hife Z; enters into engagement with the inclined plane e andgradually ascends the same, whereby the knife I) is lifted out of the-gap it. When the knife 72 has been raised in this way out of the gap h to such an extent that the roller 7) may run back over the stop 9, the knife 6 is retracted by the weight 7 along the shaft 0 into its initial position. It will then rest again by its roller 2' on the lateralrail m of the table, and it will be released again upon the stop 9 of the succeeding table striking against it. As mentioned above, the knife rests by its roller 71 on the rails m when it is in its lifted position. In order to prevent the knife from falling down when the last table knife I) has has moved past it, a clutch cou ling n is provided which holds the knife in its lifted position in this case. The clutch coupling a consists of a fast clutch member a fixed to the shaft 0 and a movable clutch member a fixed to the knife I). In the initial position of the knife I) the two clutch members are engaged and the drop knife 6 is correspondingly held in its raised osition (Fig. 3). A soon as the een moved for a little distance by the stop g, the clutch coupling is disengaged Figs. 4 and 5) so that the knife b is free to rop and to beraised afterwards.

After the glass plates carried by the tables a have been inserted into the annealing kiln,

the tables a have to be moved back for receiving and feeding further plates. During this return travel of the tables and the knife is further prevented from dropping into the gaps h between the tables by the bridging members 1). These members 12, when striking against the stop 0 during the return travel of the tables, are swung by this stop into a position in which the bridge the gap h in such a manner that t e roller 71 running on the rails we cannot drop into the said gap. The knife I) is therefore automatically maintained in its lifted position during the return travel of the tables.

It is of course apparent that as the knife is operated between the last two tables it will return to normal position before the end of the last table passes the knife. In this position the clutch members will be-engaged holding the knife elevated until the tables again start to move in the proper direction past the knife. It is of course understood that the knife is released for operation only at the front end of the advanclng table, as only the front ends of the tables carry the stop ,g.

, Having thus described my invention, what -I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 2- I L A device for cutting sheet glass, compr1smg in combination a. conveyor for the sheet glass, a drop knife arranged for sliding movement in the direction of travel of the convey orat one side thereof, knife supporting ralls at oneof the longitudinal edges of the cutting operation, an" incline the conveyor, transverse interstices in the conveyor and in the knife supporting rails into which the knife is adapted to drop for cutting the sheet glass, and means on the conveyor for engaging the knife and carrying movement on this shaft, rails on one of the longitudinal edges of the conveyor for supporting the knife in its lifted position during the traveloofthe conveyor, transverse interstices in the conveyor and in the knife supporting rails into which the knife is adapted to drop for dividing the sheet glass,

and stops on the conveyor for engaging and carrying the knife along with the conveyor during the cutting operation.

3. in a device for cutting sheet glass, a sheet glass conveyor, a drop knife arranged for sliding movement parallel of the conveyor at one side thereof, knife supporting rails on one of the longitudinal edges of the conveyor, transverse interstices in the conveyor and in the knife supporting rails into which the knife may drop for cutting the sheet glass, stops on the conveyor designed to carry the knife along with the conveyor during'the cutting operation, means for automatically lifting the knife out of the said interstices after the cutting and means for returning the knife into its initial position.

4. In a device for cutting sheet glass, a sheet glass conveyor, 2. dropknife arranged for sliding movement parallel of the conveyor ,at one side thereof, knife supportingrails on one of the longitudinal edges of the conveyor a roller carried by the knife and designed to run on the said supportingtrails for normally holding the knife in its 1i ed position, transverse interstices in the conveyor and knife supporting-railsinto which the knife may drop for cutting the sheet glass, stops 'on the conveyor designed to carry the knife along with the conveyor during the cutting o eration, means for automatically liftingthe ife out of the said interstices after the cutting and means for returning the knife into its initial position. 3

5. In a device for cutting sheet glass, 8. sheet glass conveyor, a drop knife arranged for sliding, movement parallel offthe conveyor at one side thereof, knife supporting rails on. one of the longltudinal edges of the conveyor fornormally holding the knife in its'lifted position, transverse interstices in the conveyor andknife supporting rails into which the knife 1s adapted to drop for cutting the sheet glass, stops onthe conveyor for carrying the knife along with the conve or during lane arranged so as to co-operate with the ife for lifting it out of the said interstices and above the said stops after .the cutting, and a weight connected with the knife for returning it into its initial position after it has been raised out of the interstices.

6. A device for cuttingsheet glass, comprising in combination a plurality of travelling sheet glass receiving and conveying tables, a drop knife arranged for sliding movement in the direction of travel of the tables at one side thereof, a knife supporting rail on one of the longitudinal edges of each of the tables for normally holding the knife in its lifted position, gaps between the several successive tables and their knife supporting rails into which the knife is adapted to drop' for cutting the sheet glass carried by the tables, stops on the tables for engaging and carrying the knife along with them during the cutting operation, and means for lifting the knife out of the said gaps and returning it into its initial position after the cutting.

7. A device for cutting sheet glass, comprising in combination a plurality of travelling sheet glass receiving and conveying tables, a drop knife arranged for sliding movement in the direction of travel of the tables at one side thereof, a knife supporting rail on one of the longitudinal edges of each of the tables for normally holding the knife in its lifted position, gaps between the several successive tables and their knife supporting rails into which the knife is adapted to drop for cutting the sheet glass carried by the tables, stops on the tables for engaging and carryin the knife along with them during the cutting operation, means for lifting the knife out of the said gaps and returning it into its initial position after the cutting, and a clutch coupling connected with the knife for holding it in its lifted position when there is no table below the knife.

8. A device for cutting sheet glass, comprising in combination a plurality of travel- 'ling sheet glass receivlng and conveying tables, a drop knife arranged for sliding movement inthe direction of travel of the tables at one side thereof, a knife supporting rail on one of the longitudinal edges of each of the tables for normally holding the knife in its lifted position, gaps between the several successive tables and their knife supporting rails into which the knife is ada ted to drop for cutting the sheet glass carr1e by the tables, stops on the tables for engaging and carrying the knife along with them during the cutting operation, means for liftlng the knife out of the said gaps and returning it into its initial position after the cutting, and means connected with the ends of the tables for automatically bridging the gaps between the knife supporting rails during the return travel of the tables.

9. In a device for cutting sheet glass, a sheet glass conveyor, a drop knife arranged for sliding movement parallel of the conveyor, knife su porting rails on the lon tudinal edges 0 the conveyor and means or yieldingly pressing the knife against the supporting rails. I

10. A device for cutting sheet glass, comprising in combination a sheet glass conveyor, a drop knife mounted for sliding movement, rails on the conveyor for supporting the knife in its lifted position during the travel of the conveyor, transverse interstices in the conveyor and in the knife supporting rails into which the knife is adapted to drop for dividing the sheet glass and a shock absorbing support upon which the knife falls at the end of its stroke.

11. In combination with a conveyor for sheet glass having a series of transverse spaces underlying the glass, a knife mounted for pivotal and sliding movement atone side of'the conveyor and in its pivotal movement cutting through the glass in line with one of said transverse spaces, means for holding the knife against pivotal movement, means on the conveyor for releasing the knife from the holding means, means for moving the knife with the conveyor following the cutting operation, means for swinging the knife free of the conveyor followinga predetermined sliding movement of such knife, and means for returning the knife to and within the influence of the holding means following the predetermined sliding movement of such knife.

12. In combination with a conveyor for sheet glass having a series of transverse spaces underlying the glass, a knife mounted for pivotal and sliding movement at one side of the conveyor, and in its pivotal movement cutting through the glass in line with one of said v 13. In combination with a conveyor for sheet glass having a series of transverse spaces beneath the glass, a knife mounted for pivotal. movement and bodily sliding movement, means for holding the knife in normal position above the conveyor, means on the conveyor to release the knife from its holding means and permit the operative piv-' otal movement of the knife to cut the glass in line with one of said transverse spaces, and means for automatically restoring the knife to a normal position and .within the influence veyor .latter is lowered, and

of its holding means, said knife comprising spaced paratleli plates.

In combination with a conveyor for.

sheet glass having a series of transverse spaces beneath the glass, a knife mounted for pivotal movement and bodily sliding movement, means for holding the knife in normai position above the conveyor, means on the conveyor to reiease the knife from its holding means and permit operative'pivotal movement of the knife to cut the glass in line with one of said transverse spaces, said knife being bodily moved with the conveyor following the cutting operation, a member adapted to elevate the knife above the conveyor following a predetermined bodily movement thereof, means for compelling a bodily movement of the knife when elevated toward normal position and Within the influence of the holding means, and a track on the conveyor supporting the knife during operation of said last mentioned means. 1

15. The combination with a moving conveyor for sheet glass having transverse open spaces along its length, of a knife mounted for down movement to cut through the glass in line with said open spaces and for move-' ment with the conveyor following such cutting operation, means actuated from the conveyor for moving the knife with the conveyor, means for lifting the knife to a position free of the conveyor following a predeterminedmovement of the knife with the conveyor, and means for then returning the knife to normal position irrespective of further movement of the conveyor.

16. In a device for cutting glass sheets, the combination with a traveling conveyor having transverse open spaces along its length of a knife mounted for vertical movement and also for movement with the conveyor, means tending to depress the knife, means tending to hold the knife adjacent to one end of its path of movement with the con veyor, means moving with the conveyor and contacting with the knife to maintain the latter raised during the period of such contact, driving means for the knife moving with the conveyor and engaging the knife when the means brought into action by the travel of the knife for raising the knife to a position beyond the influence of the knife driving means 17. The comblnation with a traveling confor sheet glass having transverse open space lengths along its length, of a knife mounted for vertical motion and for movement with the conveyor, means on the conveyor for normally holding the knife in an elevated position adjacent to one end of its patlnof travel with the conveyor, means for driving the knife horizontally with the conveyor when moved from its upper position, means actuated by the travel of the knife to messes In testimony whereof I have signed my name tc this specification.

LAMBERT voN REIS. 

